Lateral-motion appliance for locomotive driving boxes



April 29, 1924. 1,492,015

J- G. BLUNT LATERAL MOTION APPLIANCE FOR LOGOMOTIVE DRIVING BOXES Fild Sept. 18, 1923 2 SheetsS1'1eet;a?

FIG. 4-. 4

April 29 1924. 1,492,015

J. G. BLUNT LATERAL MOTION APPLIANCE FOH'LOCOMOTIVE DRIVING BOXES Fild Sept. 1.8, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

WITNESSES:

Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

JAMES G. BLUNT, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK.

LATERAL-MOTION APPLIANCE FOR LOCO'EVIOTIVE DRIVING BOXES.

Application filed September 18, 1923. Serial No. 863,356.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES G. BLUNT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and. State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lateral-Motion Appliances for Locomotive Driving Boxes, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for controlling lateral movement of a locomotive driving boxes in the passage of the locomotive from tangent to curved track, and vice versa, and its object is to provide an appliance, which will be of ready applicability in standard practice, without substantial structural or operative cost, and in the operation of which, individual lateral movement of the two driving boxes of a locomotive axle shall be permitted and controlled, and the driving boxes be returned to normal central position by the action of the spring suspension members of the locomotive.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

The practical advantages derived from the application of lateral motion driving boxes have been universally recognized,v and in the majority of designs of this feature, the two driving boxes of an axle have been connected together, so that their lateral movement, relatively to the frame structure, has been coincident. My invention is based upon the independent movement of the driving boxes, each acting as a unit, and only the box on the side towards, which wheel deflection occurs, as when entering a curve, being acted on to move laterally, towards the longitudinal central plane of the locomotive from its normal central position.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side view, in elevation, of part of a locomotive frame, illustrating an applica tion of my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view, with the spring saddle and rear spring hangers in section; Fig. 8 a front view, with the frame members in section; Fig. 4, a view, in perspective, of one of the operating shafts; and Fig. 5, a diagrammatic side view of a spring suspension system.

In the practice of my invention, referring descriptively to the specific embodiment thereof which is herein exemplified, the driving boxes, 4, adjoining the driving wheels, 6, which are fixed on opposite ends of the driving axle, 8, are provided with the usual journal bearings, 4, and oil cellars, 4 and are fitted, in the pedestal jaws, 3, of the side frame members, which jaws eonneot the upper and lower frame rails, 1 and 2, thereof, between wedges, 4 and shoes, 4 in the usual'manner. The open spaces between the sections of the lower frame rails, 2, are spanned by pedestal ties, 5, suitably connected to the lower frame rails. A frame cross tie member, 1 extends transversely above the upper frame rails, 1.

The portion of the weightof the locomotive which is carried on the driving axle, 8, is transmitted to the driving boxes, 4, throughsprings, 9, which bear, centrally, on spring saddles, 10, seated on the driving boxes, and straddling the upper frame rail. The forward ends of the springs, 9, bear on spring hangers, 11, the lower ends of which are connected to swinging shafts, 14, hereinafter described, and the rear ends of the springs bear on spring hangers, 11 connected by links, 12, to equalizers, 13. The equalizers are, in turn, connected, in the usual manner, to the members of the spring suspension system of the locomotive which are located in rear of them, such a system. being indicated in Fig. 5.

Two shafts, 14, 14, adapted to be swung about their axes, are mounted-in bearings, adjacent to and parallel with, the upper frame rails, 1, on the inner sides thereof. The rear ends of the shafts, 14, are journalled in bearings, 15, secured to the frame members, and their forward ends are journalled in bearings, 15*, bolted to the cross tie, 1: Each of the shafts, 14, carries two downwardly projecting arms, 14 extending on opposite sides of the driving axle, and an arm, 14, in line with the front sprlng hanger, 11. The lower ends of the arms, 14, bear normally, or when the drivmg boxes are in their normal'middle p0S1131OI1S, against the inner sides of the ClilVlIlgbOXQS, preferably through removable plns, 14. The arms, 14, project both upwardly and downwardly fromthe shafts, and hooks, 14 are formed on their upper ends, which engage the forward spring hangers, 11 and their lower ends normallybear against the inner sides'of the top frame rails, 1. The relative proportions givento the arms, 14", from the axes of the shafts to the connections to the springhangers, and to the arms, 14 from the axis of the shafts to their bearing points on the driving boxes, de-

termine the extent of spring capacity utilized in maintaining the driving boxes in their normal middle positions, or, in other words, the effort exerted by the spring system to return the driving boxes to normal central position after theyhave been moved therefrom by side movement of the driving wheels.

In order to permit the inward lateral dis- -placement of the driving boxes, suitable clearance space-,1", is provided between the outside of the "frame rails and the spring saddles. A similar provision is made between the outer sidesof the frame rails and the rear spring hanger links, 12, inasmuch as the springs pivot on the front hangers, 11, and have inward movement at their centres, equal to the lateral displacement of the driving boxes, resulting in a greater amount of travel at the1r rear ends.v The extent of lateral displacement allowed the driving boxes is limited by the space provided be tween the outer faces of the shoe and-wedge and the lateral grooves in the box in which they fit.

It will be observed that the mechanism for one side of the locomotive is a duplicate In the operation of a locomotive engine,

in which my, invention is applied, inward movement-of either of the driving box, effected by thepressure of] the adjacent driving wheel thereof, as when entering acurve;

causes the adjacent shaft, 14, to swing about its axis, thereby exerting a downward pull on the front end of the spring, 9, which will be transmitted therefrom, through the spring hangers, links, and equalizers to the entire spring suspension system in rear 7 thereof, on that side. Atthe same time, contact between the arm, 14*, and the frame rail has bee'n'released by themovement of the shaft, and on the opposite side of the "locomotive, the driving wheel has moved outwardly from the driving box, without displacing itffrom its normal position. The displaced box will be returned to its normal position when the locomotive passes to tangent'track, by theeffort' exerted by the spring system, its return traverse being stopped, at the proper limit, by the arm,

14 being brought into bearing on the frame rail, 1.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a locomotive engine, the combination of a sideframe; a driving box, fitted, with the capacity of relative movement therein, transversely to the locomotive; a spring, supported on the driving box; and means for opposing resistance of the spring to movement of the driving box. I 7

2. In a locomotive engine, the combination of a side frame; a driving box, fitted,

with the capacity of relative movement therein, transversely to the locomotive; a spring, supported 'onthe driving box, and constituting a member of a spring suspension system; and means for opposing resistance of said system to movement of the driving box. I

3. In alocomotive engine, the combination of aside frame; a driving box, fitted, with the "capacity of relative. movement therein, transversely 'to the locomotive; a spring, supported on the driving box; a shaft, journalled on the frame structure; and connections by which resistance .of the spring is transmitted, through said shaft, to

inward movement of the driving box.

l. In a locomotive engine, the combination of aside frame; a driving box, fitted, with the capacity of relative 'movement therein, transversely to the locomotive; a spring, supported on the driving box; a shaft journalled on the frame structure; connections, by which the spring acts, through said shaft, to impart'outward movement to the driving box; and a stop arm on said shaft, limiting the outward movement of the driving box.

5. In a locomotive engine, the combination of a side frame; a driving box, fitted, with the capacity of relative movement therein, transversely to the locomotive; a spring, supported, on the drivingbox; a shaft journ alled' on the frame structure; and an arm on said shaft, connectedto the spring and abutting on the inner side of the frame.

6. In a locomotive engine, the combination of a side frame; a driving box, fitted, with the capacity of relative movement, therein, transversely to the locomotive; a spring supported on the driving box; a

shaft, j ournalled on the frame structure; and i an arm on. said shaft abutting on the inner side of said frame, and permltting inward movement, but preventing outward move ment, of the driving box, from normal posi- J. HOWARD VVAGAR, Crush I. BE L. i 

